How to bypass YouTube Adblock detection in 2024

Many netizens believe ad blockers are essential for security, convenience, and efficiency when visiting the internet. The last two aspects especially apply to popular entertainment sites like YouTube, where in-video ads can consume entire minutes of your time. Unfortunately, recent updates of YouTube imposing the notorious blocks on ad blockers has made it even more difficult to bypass YouTube adblock detection, resulting in more time wasted while trying to watch your favorite content creators.

As such, we’ve compiled this list of 5 methods explaining how to bypass YouTube adblock detection without much effort. While neither is 100% effective, they give you a fighting chance to make YouTube more tolerable.

How to bypass YouTube adblock detection using an ad blocker

1. Select a top-notch ad blocker or a VPN with a built-in ad blocker. We recommend Surfshark, now 87% OFF
2. Download and install the application or browser extension
3. Launch the app or browser extension
4. Sign up for the service or log in
5. Enable ad blocking and bypass YouTube adblock detection

Bypass adblock detection with Surfshark Adblock

Why would you want to bypass adblock detection on YouTube?

Many websites, such as the ever-popular YouTube, employ adblock detection to ensure users aren’t using ad-blocking services. They do this primarily to keep their revenue stream intact. Meanwhile, visitors use trusted ad blockers for these key reasons:

• Efficiency. It’s well-known that YouTube ads are lengthy and don’t add value to the video-viewing experience. Depending on the channel you’re viewing, you’ll have to sit through multiple ads at the start and throughout the video. This can add up to minutes you could’ve spent doing something more valuable. Luckily, a robust ad blocker can save you this precious time.
• Save data and load time. When your ad blocker works properly, it can help pages load faster and use less network data.
• Security. Many people use a reputable ad blocker to have a safer experience browsing online. Pop-up ads are more than just annoying– they can be hiding phishing attempts, malware, scareware, or other threats.
• Stay invisible to trackers. The top ad blockers will also block trackers, which are responsible for gathering data on your online activities to help target ads more effectively.

Why YouTube doesn’t allow ad blockers?

YouTube doesn’t allow ad blockers because it’s a free platform that relies on advertising revenue to support its operations and creators. Ad blockers, which are software that blocks or removes advertisements, can significantly reduce the amount of revenue generated from YouTube videos. This can have a detrimental impact on both YouTube and the creators who rely on the platform for their income.

In response to the use of ad blockers, YouTube has implemented a number of measures to detect and block these tools from May 2023. These measures include displaying messages notifying users that ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube bypass, preventing playback of videos altogether, or even suspending or terminating user accounts.

Ad blockers can have a significant impact on YouTube's revenue. According to the reported revenue by Google, ad blockers were part of losing revenue.

This loss of revenue can have a number of negative consequences for YouTube. It can make it more difficult for the company to attract and retain creators, invest in new features and infrastructure, and pay out revenue to content producers.

In addition to the financial impact, ad blockers can also make it more difficult for advertisers to reach their target audiences. This can lead to a decrease in advertising effectiveness and a decline in overall advertising revenue. This is also a reason why YouTube detecting adblock technologies are constantly evolving.

What are the most common adblock detection techniques?

Ads have become one of the most crucial aspects for the website to either analyze user behavior or work with affiliate programs. Hence, website owners have found more than a couple of effective ways to detect the ad blocker in use.

Here are some key techniques that help the website to detect ad blockers:

• Detection of JavaScript. One of the most popular methods of ad block detection is through the use of JavaScript. Often websites include specific JavaScript codes that check if certain elements related to advertising are being blocked. If the code detects that these elements are missing or hidden, it can spot the working ad blocker and interfere with it.
• Detection of element hiding. Another approach involves hiding specific HTML elements, such as invisible divs or hidden images, that are normally associated with ads. By checking if these elements are still visible on the webpage, the website can detect enabled ad blockers and force you to stop using them on the website.
• Detection of request blocking. Ad blockers usually prevent the loading of ad-related resources, such as images, scripts, or tracking pixels. Websites can analyze the requests made by the browser and notice if specific scheduled ad-related attachments are being blocked. If they are absent, the website suspects the use of an ad blocker.
• Implementation of anti-adblock scripts. Some website owners employ anti-adblock scripts that actively detect ad blockers and respond accordingly. These scripts may display pop-ups, notifications, or error messages requesting users to disable their ad blockers to access the website content.

5 ways to bypass YouTube adblock detection

Ready to learn how to bypass YouTube adblock detection no matter where you go online? Here are 5 methods you can use to keep your ad blocker enabled, even on sites that would prefer you didn’t.

1. Use a top-notch YouTube ad blocker

Using a reliable YouTube ad blocker is your best chance at staying undetected, no matter where you go online. Ad blockers, like Surfshark, offer comprehensive ad blocking features to keep you safe from malicious pop-ups, banners, video ads, or online trackers. This way, you’ll maintain ad-free and secure browsing at all times.

2. Disable JavaScript

To keep your ad blocker activated but get around pop-ups and screen freezes, you can disable JavaScript on the site you’re having trouble with. Here are a few guides for Chrome and Firefox browsers to get you started:

How to Disable JavaScript on Chrome

1. Copy the URL of the website that has detected your ad blocker
2. Go to the three dots on the upper right of your browser
3. Select Settings
4. Proceed to Privacy and security and click on Site settings
5. Click on JavaScript
6. Add the URL under the Not allowed to use Javascript category
7. Go back to the website and refresh – you should now be free of ad block detection

How to Disable JavaScript on Firefox

If you’re using Firefox, you can disable JavaScript manually or use the Disable JavaScript browser extension. Once you’ve added the extension, you can simply enable and disable JavaScript with a click on any website you visit.

How to Disable JavaScript on Opera

1. Open the Opera browser, and from the menu bar, choose Preferences
2. When the Settings section opens in a new tab, choose Advanced from the left menu bar
3. Hit Site Settings
4. Select JavaScript
5. Enable the Allowed toggle to block JavaScript
6. Below, find the sections to specify the allowed or blocked websites

How to Disable JavaScript on Microsoft Edge

1. Launch Microsoft Edge and click the three-dot icon on the upper-right part of the page
2. Select Settings
3. Choose Cookies and Site Permissions
4. Tap JavaScript
5. Disable the switch off to block JavaScript on all websites. Or list the specific pages you want to block or allow JavaScript on

3. Install a user script manager

No matter what browser you use, there are extensions specifically designed to manage user scripts and bypass adblock detection. Tampermonkey and Greasemonkey are popular choices that allow you to manage user scripts and ultimately get around adblock detection.

Once you set up a script to block adblock detection, you should be able to view the site as usual. These extensions are also great for not impacting the layout of the page.

4. Enable Chrome’s Distill Page Feature

If you’re using the Chrome browser, you can use the built-in Distill Page Feature to keep your ad blocker working at all times. When you enable this feature, it will distill the content down to essentials, eliminating adblock detection. Keep in mind it can impact the appearance of the page.

Find steps on how to enable Distill Page Feature below:

1. Go to chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode
2. Select Enabled for Enable Reader Mode
3. If an ad blocker is detected on any site, you can now click Distill page from the three-dot menu

5. Use your browser’s Reading Mode

If you’re not using Chrome, you can check your browser for a specialized Reading Mode. Enabling this mode will simplify whatever webpage you’re on, eliminating all non-essential information – including its adblock detection.

When you enable Reading Mode, it blocks any JavaScript from running on the site you visit. You may check in your browser’s settings for this mode or install a Reading Mode extension.

Get YouTube without ads for less

If none of the above-mentioned methods are working for you and you're determined to enjoy an ad-free YouTube experience, you might want to consider getting a YouTube Premium subscription. YouTube Premium offers an ad-free viewing experience, along with other benefits like offline downloads and background playback. The good news is that there's a way to get YouTube Premium at a more affordable price with a VPN.

YouTube Premium's cost varies from country to country, and you can use this to your advantage. By using a VPN, you can change your virtual location to a country where YouTube Premium is available at a lower rate – India, Turkey, or Argentina often offer YouTube Premium at a significantly reduced price compared to some other regions.

By connecting to a server in one of these countries, you can access YouTube Premium for less, all while enjoying an ad-free YouTube experience. Keep in mind that the availability of YouTube Premium and its pricing may change, so it's essential to verify the current rates.

How does adblock detection work?

It’ll be clear if your ad blocker has been detected– you’ll be greeted with a pop-up saying something like, “We noticed that you're using an adblocker” It will then instruct you to turn off your ad blocker if you want to proceed to the site.

Sometimes, the site will completely freeze your screen, so you can’t move until you’ve turned off the blocker like they want. It might seem extreme, but many of these sites depend on the advertising revenue generated by you seeing the ad campaign.

Speaking of the technical side of ad block detection, it centers around JavaScript. A website will often use specific JavaScript code to spot an active ad blocker. This code can tell when an ad blocker has made changes to a web page’s content, often using bait content to catch an ad blocker in use.

Does adblock detection compromise user privacy?

Adblock detection does impact users’ online privacy levels. Apart from the fact that the website seeks to interfere with the users’ choice of online freedom by forcing them to disable the ad blocker, the website does that for privacy-violating reasons too.

Online advertisement is one of the key methods for a webpage to boost income. The ads you come across may be regulated by the webpage owner itself, or there’s an affiliate program going on. While facing any type of ad on a reputable website isn’t as dangerous as it would be on bogus websites, it’s also important to note that the majority of websites use trackers.

Trackers help website owners to track and analyze your behavior on the page as well as personal information, such as IP address, device ID, type of browser you use, geo-location, and more. Simply put, your information is being collected and used for commerce purposes.

So, adblock detection greatly adds up to exposing your sensitive information to multiple third parties. It can either be the website itself, the affiliate partners it works with, or even the governmental institutions. Thus, we recommend using a robust ad blocker, like Surfshark, that effectively bypasses adblock detection on various sites without getting detected.

Conclusion

After investing in a new adblocker, it can be both frustrating and dangerous anytime a website detects it and stops you in your tracks. When your screen freezes, and you’re faced with a pop-up instructing you to disable your adblocker, don’t worry– it’s not over just yet.

By disabling JavaScript, enabling your browser’s Reading Mode, and choosing a top-of-the-line adblocker, there are plenty of things you can do to bypass adblock detection on any website. If you’re not sure which ad blocker to trust, we recommend Surfshark. It effectively block ads and cookie pop-ups, stops trackers, and even comes with a robust VPN.

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